New York Knicks guard Josh Hart nailed a 3-pointer with 14.6 seconds left to seal his team’s 112-106 win against the Boston Celtics on Thursday. Hart and Jalen Brunson ran a pick-and-roll that forced Derrick White and Nikola Vucevic to double the Knicks’ All-Star captain. Brunson whipped the ball to his teammate, who had a clean look at the basket over the lunging Vucevic.
Fans reacted to the play that pushed the Knicks to a crucial win over an Eastern Conference rival. One fan wrote:
“So fake.”
Another fan added:
“No communication on the pick and roll, lazy close out, ball game.”
One more fan continued:
“Why are the Knicks in a nail biter with no Jaylen Brown Celtics?”
Another fan commented:
“B**ch a** Knicks not even like that.”
One fan tweeted:
“So they marginally scraped a win against Brown-less Celtics and Rusty Tatum Celtics.”
Josh Hart’s heroics were on full display in the fourth quarter, where he dropped 15 of his 26 points. He made two 3-pointers in the game’s final 42 seconds to drag his team to an important victory.
New York improved to 52-28, two games behind Boston (54-26) for the No. 2 spot in the East. With the Knicks owning the season series (3-1), Hart and Co. will earn the higher seed if they win their remaining two games while the Celtics lose their next two.
The game also marked Jayson Tatum’s return to Madison Square Garden since the Celtics’ franchise player ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 against the Knicks. Tatum showed almost vintage form, leading Boston with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, less than a year after suffering the devastating injury.
While some Knicks fans gave Tatum an appreciative welcome, the MSG crowd entirely backed the home team throughout the game. The biggest uproar was reserved for Josh Hart, who ended the Celtics’ hope of a comeback.
Josh Hart, Knicks Could Be Headed for Rematch With Celtics in 2026 Playoffs
Last season, Josh Hart and the Knicks finished with a 51-31 record, securing the No. 3 seed in the East, 10 games behind the Celtics (61-21). After struggling to dispatch the Detroit Pistons in the first round, the Knicks surprised their rivals with back-to-back wins in Boston.
The Knicks lost at home in Game 3 before securing a 3-1 lead with a win in Game 4 that saw Jayson Tatum leave the game with an Achilles injury. New York eventually sent Boston on vacation in six games.
This season, the two teams could meet again in the Eastern Conference semis. If the seedings hold, the rivals could battle again on the same stage.
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